The first thing that Josh noticed was that the answer phone light was still flashing persistently by Sam's front door. The second thing was the large stain of blood that had ruined the rug. Josh sank into the chair and sighed.

"I'm going to be buying a rug."

"Sam, I asked you what you were doing this weekend."

"Yes, Josh, and I replied I'm going to be buying a rug… and possibly a throw."

"If anyone else asks you how you're spending the weekend- don't say that."

"Well it's what I'm doing."

"Make something up."

Josh stretched and kept his hands on the top of Sam's office door frame. Sam continued to pack various files and folders into his briefcase, "I on the other hand will be doing many interesting and stimulating things this weekend."

"Good," Sam was finished packing and was waiting for Josh to move so he could leave his office.

"And I can tell you my friend that buying rugs will not be one of them."

"Good for you, Josh." Sam pushed past Josh and as he was almost out of sight called over his shoulder, "C and C flooring, Vermont Avenue, two o'clock."

"Okay," Josh called back. "It appears buying rugs will be one of them," Josh said to Sam's empty office.

Josh smiled as he remembered the 'rug hunt' which had taken all of Saturday afternoon and most of Sunday. It turned out that Sam had an almost freakish knowledge of rugs and knew exactly what he was looking for.

Josh bent down and started to roll up the rug they had bought. It was a beautiful design and matched the colour scheme of the room perfectly. He wrapped it with trash bags and stood it by the door to take down to his car later. He then went back to the bathroom. The police had finished their work and Josh set about clearing the remnants of the disorder away. He swept up the glass from the window and starting picking up the pill bottles that still lay scattered around the floor and sink. He couldn't understand what had happened to the contents of the medical cupboard and grimaced at the thought of the story that Sam would eventually tell him, or that he would eventually make Sam tell him. Before he left he played the messages on the answer phone as he stood with a pen waiting to jot down anything important his stomach turned. The messages were from him and Ginger, mindless, stupid messages about Toby's stapler. Josh waited until the final beep and pressed delete. He wished he could delete the messages from his memory as easily.

Toby sat by Sam's bed scribbling notes. There was something about the atmosphere of the hospital early in the morning that helped him to concentrate. Sam had fallen asleep almost as soon as he had arrived. The room was filling up with flowers and cards but Sam had hardly seemed to notice. This was the start of his fourth day in hospital and he had said very little to his visitors and nothing about the attack. Toby hoped he would wake soon as he wanted to be gone before Josh arrived. He couldn't face another debate about how they should have realised sooner that Sam needed help- the last thing he needed was another dance around Josh's conscience. A murmur from Sam drew Toby from his thoughts and he watched as his forehead furrowed and he mumbled again more loudly.

In his sleep Sam was back in his apartment and the intruder was with him helping him look for his trainers. "I haven't been to the gym for ages. My sneakers could be in my office," he called from inside the hall cupboard.

"Found them!" the intruder shouted triumphantly.

Sam walked into his bedroom and knelt beside the man who was rummaging at the back of his wardrobe. "They're stuck," the man laughed.

"Here let me try." Sam leant into the wardrobe too and recoiled as something sharp sliced his hand.

"They're here somewhere," the man continued, "can't get hold of them…ah here we are."

He pulled out of the wardrobe quickly, grabbed Sam's shoulder so that he was facing him and thrust the knife into his chest. Sam called desperately for Josh and the intruder vanished. In his place, standing over him, was Josh. He bent over Sam and told him that everything was going to be alright. Sam smiled up at him and closed his eyes. He felt Josh's hands on his shoulders gently at first but then shaking him more forcefully and telling him to wake up.

When he opened his eyes Josh was no longer there his face was now replaced with the face of the intruder who leant in close to Sam and whispered. "He's not coming."

Sam's eyes sprung open, he was breathing hard and couldn't quite catch his breath. Toby was standing over him, his hands on his shoulders. Toby stayed in that position until Sam had managed to control his breathing at which point he patted Sam's shoulder and sat back down.

"What's the time?" Sam hoped Toby would take the hint that he did not want to talk about his nightmare.

"It's six thirty. Are you okay do you want me to get the nurse?"

"It was just a dream. I'm fine now." Sam was unable to meet Toby's eyes so instead he closed his and said, "I'm tired…I'm sorry…will you tell Josh I don't want him to come this morning."

At Sam's words Toby leaned forward in his chair, closer to Sam, "Are you sure? Maybe it would do you good to see Josh now, you can sleep this afternoon." The prospect of providing even more fuel for Josh's guilt complex was not a tempting one.

Sam was tired and he was confused. The dream still lingered and all he could make out from it was that he had needed Josh and he hadn't come. He looked up at Toby with a puzzled expression. "I want to sleep now…why can't you tell him that…"

"Okay…okay…of course I'll tell him." Sam was becoming agitated and that was the last thing Toby wanted. Josh wasn't Toby's problem he would have to accept that Sam was tired and that was all there was to it. But as Toby packed his work away and looked at Sam he couldn't quite avoid the feeling that there was more to this than tiredness.

Josh sat at his desk. He had walked into his office without greeting anyone and shut the door behind him. Donna waited a few moments and then knocked on the door.

"You're in early. Didn't you go see Sam?"

"He was tired. He didn't want to see anyone."

"Oh." Donna stood and watched Josh flicking through the pages of a telephone directory. "What are you looking for?"

"A rug shop…I can't remember the name it was on Vermont Avenue. P and J Rugs or something- it had initials…flooring! That was it something and something flooring."

"C and C."

"No it was…"

"Josh, it's C and C! C and C flooring."

"Right…find the number and then phone them and ask…no, wait, I'll phone. When do rug shops open?"

"It depends…is it a religious holiday for rug owners today?"

"Donna!"

"They're regular shops, Josh, do you think there are special rug shop hours?"

Josh picked up the directory, walked to Donna's desk and put it down. "Don't come into my office again today. You can phone or email me but I'm drawing a boundary between here and my office." Josh walked away from Donna and over to the coffee machine. Finally he was able to do something for Sam. It wasn't much, just a new rug, but for Josh it staved off the feeling of helplessness that had been eating at him for the past few days.

Toby doodled swirls and circles over the bedside phone number he had for Sam. He had called three times since lunchtime. There had been no reply the first two times and then a nurse had answered and told him that Sam was feeling too tired to talk. CJ poked her head around Toby's door. "Did you go this morning?"

"Are you inquiring after my bowel movements or do you mean somewhere specific?"

CJ smiled, "No Toby…urgh…no, did you go and see Sam?"

Toby put down his pencil and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Have you just tried to phone him?"

"Yeah he's not answering. Then a nurse picked up and said he was-"

"Tired, yeah," Toby interrupted.

"Josh said he didn't want anyone to see him this morning."

"Yeah," Toby leant on his desk and rested his chin on his hand, "has Josh tried to phone him?" He asked.

There was no need for CJ to answer as the anger of Josh's words that flew across the Bullpen let them know that something had happened to alter his previously optimistic mood.

"Put him on the phone now or I'll come over there and show you how important this is!"

Toby sighed as he stood, "Please don't let him be talking to one of the few people that we actually don't want to offend."

When they reached Josh's office they found him pacing, a furious expression on his face and one hand running wildly through his hair.

"For God's…look it was called Orion it cost $149 and you said it was a brand new range. How can you have none left? It was only two months ago you must have other stores or a warehouse." The man's response did little to pacify Josh. "I don't want to see the latest range it's got to be this one, it has to be exactly the same." Josh made his opinion of C and C Flooring clearly known as he disconnected the call. As he did so he finally noticed Toby and CJ watching him, CJ with amusement and Toby with concern.

When CJ clocked the expressions of the two men she made a lame excuse and left. Toby entered the office and shut the door behind him. "Don't read too much into it. You were hell to visit for the first few days. Shock and trauma can cause depression you know that."

"And you know that there's more to it than that." Toby started to reply but Josh continued. "Tell me what he said this morning. Was it 'I don't want to see anyone' or 'I don't want to see Josh'?"

"He said he didn't want to see you. He didn't say he didn't want to see you because he'll never forgive him for…whatever it is you think he's not going to forgive you for."

"Not coming sooner! He's not going to forgive me not coming to find him."

"You keep saying that as if-"

"No, listen, after I was…by the time you came and…found me…it could only have been five or six minutes tops," Toby nodded, "Sam must have been there for at least an hour and a half, maybe more. Those five minutes seemed like hours and I couldn't understand why no one was coming to help, so for you to say that I'm reading too much into this or that I don't know what Sam's thinking well, I think I do know." Josh sat down. He looked completely deflated.

"So what are you going to do about it?"

"I'm going to go see him whether he wants me to or not and I'm going to tell him that I know how he's feeling."

"Don't say that."

"Why it will-"

"You don't know. Nobody does. Tell him how you're feeling, because I'd imagine that's what anyone recovering from a major trauma needs to hear! But don't go in there presuming to know what's going on in his head."

Josh nodded. For the first time Toby wasn't ridiculing his fears about Sam. It should have made him feel better but it just made him feel a whole lot worse.

Josh waited a whole day before visiting Sam. It nearly sent Donna mad but he managed it. CJ, Toby and many of the communication staffers visited but Josh didn't. CJ told him that Sam had seemed fine, apart from a temperature, but if that went down the doctors were talking about letting him go home in a couple of days. That evening the police had been and taken a statement and then Sam had not wanted to see anyone again. But then Ginger came and there were flowers and cuddly bears and she had stayed until she had made Sam promise not to make her come all that way only to be told 'no visitors' again. The President had sent a card and a message that had provoked the first real smile that Sam had shown since the attack. Josh was told all of this and more by Sam's visitors. In the end they decided it was easier to go straight to Josh after the hospital rather than waiting for him to come and find them for the latest update. It was when Bonnie told him the entire contents of Sam's lunch and that she was phoning the hospital because she forgot to check the colour of the tray that Josh decided sarcasm really was the lowest form of wit.

For the first time in days Josh had slept well, comforted by the fact that Sam was on the mend. He had planned what he was going to say to Sam. He was going to explain exactly what had happened on the morning of the attack and explain how he had been feeling ever since. So on the morning of the sixth day of Sam's hospitalisation Josh made his way along the corridor to his room. He was surprised to see one then two nurses bustling around his bed.

"Is it worse than earlier or about the same?" one of them asked as she recorded the temperature reading on the chart.

"Worse," Sam replied. Josh thought he looked pale and a little unfocused. He entered the room and nodded to the nurses.

"Do you still feel nauseous?"

"Yeah and hot…really hot again."

"What's going on?" Josh walked over to the bed as Sam noticed him for the first time.

"Well we've had quite a night haven't we, Sam?"

"Yeah," Sam managed a smile and to Josh's great relief turned and gave him one also.

"I think Sam's got an infection. The doctor will be over soon," the nurse glanced at Josh's puzzled face and continued, "Sam was ill in the night with a fever, some pain and vomiting. The fever was quite high and we had a few hallucinations. Well I hope they were hallucinations or there's some pretty weird stuff going on in the White House!"

Josh smiled at the nurse's attempt at levity and sat down by the bed. One of the nurses took Sam's hand and said, "Your fever's down a little honey. I'm going to get the doctor." Both nurses left the room leaving the two men alone.

"Well this sucks," Josh sighed.

"Yeah, I was feeling okay but it started yesterday…after CJ had left."

"Yeah she has that affect on me too," Josh dead panned. "They'll just give you antibiotics or something. You'll be home soon."

"I'm not going to go-" Sam stopped talking and moaned. Josh jumped out of his seat.

"What is it? What's wrong?"

"Oh shit…I'm gonna…" Josh realised what Sam was trying to articulate and grabbed the paper bowl the nurse had left on the table. He did so just in time. Sam bent forward and Josh placed one hand on his back as he vomited water and drugs. Josh stayed in that position while Sam coped with the heaves that were causing him pain. The sudden noise caused both men to jump.

"Jesus, could Margaret have ordered a bigger bunch? I told her, send them to the room, but no she seems to think there's this whole 'flower theft' thing going on so here I am struggling like an idiot." The large bunch of flowers that had just entered the room were lowered to reveal Leo whose voice trailed off as he took in the scene before him. Josh removed the bowl as Sam lay back and closed his eyes.

"He's got an infection the doctor's coming to see him soon. I'm gonna go get the nurse." Josh rushed past Leo and left him standing awkwardly at the end of the bed.

"Well I sure picked my moment to visit." Sam opened his eyes long enough to flash Leo an apologetic smile. Josh returned not with a nurse but a doctor who immediately set about examining Sam's wound.

"I'll come back when Sam isn't being examined or puking," Leo said to Josh. As he headed for the door he turned to see if he could catch Sam's eye but he was too busy trying not to wince as the doctor continued to examine the wound. Just as he was nearing the elevator Josh caught up to him.

"I want to stay. Donna can bring my work over and I can make phone calls from here."

"Josh, you can't do anything. They're just going to give him antibiotics or-"

"No the doctor thinks he's going to need another op to clean the wound. He's waiting on some blood tests but he said the wound wasn't healing well." Leo looked at Josh and knew immediately there was no point in saying no even if he wanted to.

"Make sure I can reach you."

"Yeah, thanks, Leo." Josh turned and walked back to Sam's room.

The two men sat and waited until it was time for Sam's operation. When Sam slept Josh worked and when he was awake they talked. Josh didn't say any of the things he had planned to say. Instead he told him about how he had searched every store in Washington for the rug and then found one in five minutes on . He told Sam about his apartment and how he'd had the window fixed and that the police were finally finished. Sam listened, his expression blank, as Josh explained that he didn't think they held out much hope of catching his attacker. In order to change the subject, Josh read the messages in Sam's cards occasionally asking about the people whose names he didn't recognise. He recognised the name in the largest of the cards though and read the message out loud. "Abbey told me a great deal of medical advice to relate to you but I will simply finish with this, Sam, 'Time is the great physician'. Take your time getting well again but come back to us soon. Jed and Abbey Bartlet. That's nice," Josh said.

Sam nodded. "It's been bugging me though. I can't remember where the quote is from."

They continued to talk until it was time for Sam to go to theatre, both men careful not to stray too close to topics concerning the attack or its aftermath. Josh hurriedly packed his things which he had spread over Sam's bed.

"You going to the office now?" Sam asked.

"Yeah. I'll come back later."

"There's no point, I'll be out of it. Go home."

Josh nodded and just had time to squeeze Sam's shoulder before his bed was wheeled out of the room and out of sight.

Josh kept his gaze downwards as he walked through the Bullpen and back to his office. He threw his backpack on his desk and himself into his chair.

"You should go home." CJ appeared at his doorway.

"I'm fine thanks, CJ."

"Really, Josh, Sam's going to be in for longer now which means you're going to be burning the candle at both-"

"Yeah let's worry about me. Sam's been stabbed and has a wound that isn't healing, but let's worry about Josh not having enough sleep."

"Women can multi-worry."

"Multi-worry what the hell is that?" Josh sounded annoyed but a smile was beginning to play on his lips.

"It means we are capable of worrying about more than one person at a time without having to compartmentalize the amount of worry we feel for each person."

"Please tell me you made that up."

CJ smirked. "Go home, Josh."

"Yeah." He stood up and as his desk spun ninety degrees in front of his eyes decided that maybe CJ was right about going home after all.

Sam woke to the sound of tapping but he couldn't make out what the sound was. He felt groggy and couldn't focus on the dark shape that was sat by his bed. The tapping continued, it was quite a soothing sound and Sam kept his eyes closed as he lay listening to it. Suddenly he realised what the sound was; Toby was working on his laptop. In his dozy state he thought he was back in Toby's office and he opened his eyes desperately trying not to let him see he had fallen asleep.

"I'm just thinking," Sam mumbled figuring that would explain why his eyes were closed.

"How are you feeling?"

The concern in Toby's voice brought him back to reality with a sudden jolt. Concern was the last thing he had expected to hear in his boss's voice. Sam stared at Toby as the past few days slowly came back into focus.

"Feel ok."

"The doctor came by, he said the op went well but you won't be going home for a while."

"Good." Sam eyes were closed now and he was drifting off to sleep again.

Toby smiled at his response. "Good it went well or good you won't be going home?"

He stopped smiling at Sam's answer, "Good not going home…don't want…"

Toby frowned, Josh had mentioned that he thought Sam was going to say he didn't want to go home before he had started to be sick the other morning and now Toby had heard it for himself. If Sam was worried about going back to his apartment and not telling them then what else was going through his mind that he wasn't sharing. Toby toyed with the idea of waking him up and asking him some questions, in his current state Sam might admit to more than he would when fully conscious but he realised that would not be fair and besides Sam would only deny it when he came round properly. Toby sighed and went to tell the nurse that he was awake, as he walked down the corridor he tried to think of a way that they could get Sam talking about the attack and its aftermath. Toby had always dismissed Josh's paranoia and convinced himself that Sam would have remembered very little about the time he was lying on the floor but what if Josh was right? Toby started going over the events of that morning in his head. Should he have realised sooner that something was wrong? He stopped at the nurses' station and noticed the mess of the desk behind the counter. He hoped to God that Sam didn't remember anything because how would he explain to him that he wasn't worried about where he was because he was too busy worrying about who had left his desk in a mess.

As he walked out of the hospital he immediately dialled a number on his cell phone.

"Josh, it's Toby…we need to talk."